Merri was Kelvin's only maid. This was probably because there was no one else who was capable of controlling Kelvin. Of all the people trained as maids and butlers across the entire peninsula, she was likely the only one unfazed by stronger cultivators and focused on work.
In fact she had been a direct appointment by Zerrin himself. She was a cultivator as well of course, a fairly strong one at that, but she couldn't be considered a powerhouse like Kelvin, Zerrin, Jamie, or even Marlev.
Oh how she missed Marlev, she was the only confidant she had. Kelvin's mansion was fairly isolated from the rest of the world, and she was the only person working here besides some administrative officers like Zerrin, and most of them didn't have time for small talk.
She couldn't come often, nor did she ever stay for long, but she helped with cleaning and cooking. She also gave her help and advice in courting her fancied one. It was rather embarrassing, but she loved Zerrin. She knew it was a bit of a reach and she didn't have much of a chance, but somewhere in her heart she thought she was the best for him. Marlev liked that sort of drama, and swore to help her achieve her goal, on the condition that Merri did the talking herself.
Marlev even went as far as forcing Jamie to take on some of Zerrin's workload in order to give him a 'day off' so Merri could attend to him. How many times had she found herself in the garden alone with him, unable to make a sound? Sometimes she felt Marl was toying with her.
But she still felt she had made progress.
Zerrin no longer addressed her by the term 'Maid' and instead used her name. He no longer distanced himself from her and even asked her opinion on some matters he was stumped on. There had even been a few occasions where he had helped handle Kelvin, though she couldn't be sure that was out of intimacy. But still she gave him the best portions of food, cleaned his room the most thoroughly, and attended to him the quickest.
If Marlev had still been here to help her along, she was confident she would get there within the next three years.
But now she wasn't there to assist her, leaving only her child behind. Merri would be sure to raise him into a strapping young man in her stead. Her dream of being Zerrin's only could wait. Cultivators lived a long time after all.
Maye she could use Arc to display her better qualities...
"No Merri! You can't use her child to satisfy your own wants and desires! What would Zerrin think of you if you did that?" She scolded herself out loud like a child as she thought of that taboo action.
"Although I suppose that raising him well will make me look good regardless..."
Merri was starting to justify her actions. She had been working far too hard far too long. When was the last time she had a day off?
She shook herself out of her thoughts. She had to cook for the little Arc, it was almost time for him to eat again. She had already cleaned the stew from before and was satisfied with the result. He hadn't puked (there wasn't any foul stench anywhere and Kelvin couldn't clean) which meant he liked it and hadn't eaten too much. She was thinking of feeding him something a little sweeter now, probably something with a little bit of fruit. She decided that a fruit salad was a good idea.
She got to chopping up various fruits and melons into bite-sized for a baby pieces and mixing them in a bowl. She also decided to squeeze a softer fruit and give him it's juice as a drink.
Given what little she knew of him, she brought a bit of ground up salt to see how he would react to a salty taste. She was interested in what his favorite food might be. Salt and the like would give her an idea.
Finished with her fruit mix, she brought the bowl and cup on a tray to his room. Getting an idea along the way.
"I wonder if I should practice speaking with him. I'm sure both Zerrin and Kelvin would be surprised."
Almost tripping on a few stairs on the way up, she turned down the hall to see that the door was open.
"Dammit Kelvin, I told you you needed to get to work." She muttered under her breath, her buoyant mood sinking noticeably as she realized that this boy's presence may make her job even more difficult.
Still holding the tray stable, she marched down the hall to the open door, prepared to scold her lackadaisical employer.